Top celebrities are making their way to Mumbai to be a part of the grand wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding celebrations, which runs from Friday, July 12, until Sunday, July 14.
Anant is the youngest son of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani, while Radhika is the daughter of pharma tycoons, Viren and Shaila Merchant.
The opulent affair is set to take place at the Ambanis mansion, Antilia and Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai and, according to reports, “promises to be a celebration of Indian culture, spirituality, and tradition on an unparalleled scale”.
The wedding decor theme is “An Ode to Varanasi”, which pays homage to the eternal city, its traditions, piety, culture, arts, crafts and Banarasi cuisine.
The who’s who of the entertainment world, including celebrities like Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas, David Beckham, Adele, John Cena, Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, will be in attendance.
According to reports, boxer Mike Tyson, former UK prime ministers, Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, global business tycoons and self-help coach Jay Shetty, are also expected to attend the wedding.
It was reported that Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar would not be in attendance as he tested positive for Covid-19.
Grammy Award-winning artist Justin Bieber performed at the Sangeet ceremony held on July 5.
According to reports, Bieber was paid $10 million (R180m) for his private concert.
Bieber, who already has an estimated net worth of $300m, posted a series of photos and videos from the gig on his Instagram page, including a carousel of snaps of him with the bride and groom-to-be.
The couple’s wedding reception will be held on Sunday in Mumbai and it is said to be filled with performances from leading Indian musicians including AR Rahman, Jonita Gandhi, Mohit Chauhan and Udit Narayan and global superstar and “Calm Down” hitmaker, Rema.
Anant and Radhika’s haldi ceremony was held on Monday, July 8.
The pair complemented each other in designer outfits by Indian fashion designer, Sandeep Khosla, of Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla.
His mustard Bundi (sleeveless Nehru jackets) was a marvel of Resham work blooming in ombré embroidery, featuring intricate animal and ornamental motifs.
It was paired with a brocade hand-embroidered kurta with the opulence of Zardozi borders.
Radhika matched in a yellow lehenga adorned with a floral chunni that complemented her floral necklace and maang tikka.
In another look, Radhika stunned in a Rabadi Tharad ghagra with a matching “toran” enveloping the waist.
The ensemble had a base of royal blue that was adorned by hand with multicolour Resham embroidery highlighted with mirrors and stones.
Many Bollywood celebrities, including Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Ananya Panday, Arjun Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor, Vedang Raina Orry, Sara Ali Khan, and Manushi Chhillar, attended the haldi ceremony.